Map of major cities as identified by governmental organizations
[ 1] The onlycity inAfghanistan with over 1 million settledresidents is the nation's capital,Kabul . According to Afghanistan'sNational Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA), an estimated 36,435,197 citizens are physically residing in Afghanistan as of September 2025.[ 2] [ 3] Iran and approximately 2 million inPakistan ,[ 4] Afghan diaspora around the world. This makesAfghanistan's population over 40 million people.[ a]
The chart below shows 26 cities of Afghanistan with an estimated population of over 100,000 people, by order of population. The estimates are from September 2025, provided by NSIA.[ 11]
No. City Province Population Citation 1 Kabul (nation's capital)Kabul 5,333,284 [ 12] 2 Kandahar Kandahar 732,629 [ 13] 3 Herat Herat 673,273 [ 14] 4 Mazar-e-Sharif Balkh 568,013 [ 15] 5 Kunduz Kunduz 413,996 [ 16] 6 Jalalabad Nangarhar 318,733 [ 17] 7 Taloqan Takhar 284,990 [ 18] 8 Pul-e-Khumri Baghlan 230,112 [ 19] 9 Charikar Parwan 222,751 [ 20] 10 Baghlan Baghlan 219,073 [ 21] 11 Sheberghan Jowzjan 213,411 [ 22] 12 Ghazni Ghazni 205,965 [ 23] 13 Lashkargah Helmand 191,458 [ 24] 14 Khost Khost 170,615 [ 25] 15 Mehtarlam Laghman 160,123 [ 26] 16 Balkh Balkh 148,972 [ 27] 17 Farah Farah 141,091 [ 28] 18 Sar-e-Pul Sar-e-Pul 134,809 [ 29] 19 Pul-e-Alam Logar 130,793 [ 30] 20 Aybak Samangan 130,409 [ 31] 21 Firozkoh Ghor 129,521 [ 32] 22 Terinkot Uruzgan 127,095 [ 33] 23 Spin Boldak Kandahar 123,945 [ 34] 24 Maimana Faryab 108,049 [ 35] 25 Gardez Paktia 105,278 [ 36] 26 Bamyan Bamyan 103,909 [ 37]
Ancient names of places or cities in Afghanistan:
Current city and region Ancient name Kabul Kophene,[ 38] Ghazni Ghaznīn, Ghazna Balkh Bakhlo, Bactra, Bokhdī Bamyan Bamikan[ 39] Herat Haraiva , Harī,Aria Laghman Lampaka[ 38] Jalalabad Adinapur[ 40] Kandahar Arachosia [ 38] Lashkargah Bost, Bust Zaranj Zranka, Zarangia,Drangiana Kunduz Drapsaka, Walwalij
^ The last census was conducted in 1979. Sources disagree about the current population:All figures are mid-year.
